Jewelry, such as necklaces and bracelets, often consists of a plurality of freely movable ornamental components (e.g., beads) strung on an elongated member (e.g., chain, wire, or string). To prevent all the freely movable beads from grouping together at the bottom of the necklace or bracelet, an ornamental component provided with a stopping mechanism configured to grip the necklace or bracelet may be used. Such stopping mechanisms are known from the prior art in a variety of forms.
An example of a prior art variation of a stopping mechanism is disclosed in US 2003/0154742, in which a jewel is produced with an elastic body inside configured to provide a frictional force on an elongated member. A similar solution is disclosed in US 2002/0148250, in which the jewel itself is provided with a flexible resilient tube with an inside diameter slightly smaller than the outer diameter of an elongated member, as to fix the jewel on the elongated member.
Another prior art variation is disclosed in WO 2006/125155.
It may, however, be difficult to produce such prior art ornamental components. Additionally, the stopping mechanisms may be vulnerable to damage.
Thus, it remains a problem to provide a robust ornamental component provided with a stopping mechanism that can be easily manufactured.